Tool carrying harness and strap assembly for adjusting the same

Abstract

A harness ( 100/200 ) for carrying an outdoor power equipment device may include a back plate ( 110/210 ), a leg plate ( 260/310 ) to support the device responsive to attachment of the device to the leg plate ( 260/310 ), a chest buckle ( 170/270 ) operable to alternately enable donning and doffing of the harness ( 100/200 ), and an adjustable strap assembly ( 280/300 ) operably coupled to the back plate ( 110/210 ) and the chest buckle ( 170/270 ) to enable a carrying height of the leg plate ( 260/310 ) to be adjusted. The adjustable strap assembly ( 280/300 ) may include a strap portion ( 302 ) operably coupling the leg plate ( 260/310 ) to the back plate ( 110/210 ) at a selected one of a plurality of fixed anchoring points via an attachment toggle ( 308 ) disposed at a distal end of the first strap portion ( 302 ).

1 . A harness for carrying an outdoor power equipment device, the harness comprising:
 a back plate;   a leg plate to support the device responsive to attachment of the device to the leg plate;   a chest buckle operable to alternately enable donning and doffing of the harness; and   an adjustable strap assembly operably coupled to the back plate and the chest buckle to enable a carrying height of the leg plate to be slidably adjusted,   wherein the adjustable strap assembly comprises a first strap portion operably coupling the leg plate to the back plate at a selected one of a plurality of fixed anchoring points via an attachment toggle disposed at a distal end of the first strap portion, and   wherein the adjustable strap assembly comprises a second strap portion that operably couples the leg plate to the chest buckle via an adjustable coupler that defines an infinite number of set positions for the carrying height of the leg plate.   
     
     
         2 . The harness of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable coupler comprises a tri-glide slide or webbing slide portion and a locking slot. 
     
     
         3 . The harness of  claim 2 , wherein the locking slot comprises a first locking arm and a second locking arm separated from each other by a slip passage, and
 wherein the second strap portion of the adjustable strap assembly is slidable through the tri-glide slide or webbing slide portion to change the carrying height of the leg plate by pulling an adjustment strap at a distal end of the second strap portion when the adjustment strap is not retained in the locking slot and the carrying height is fixed when the adjustment strap is retained in the locking slot.   
     
     
         4 . The harness of  claim 1 , wherein each of the fixed anchoring points comprises an anchoring aperture defining a different carrying height corresponding to a different job type performed by the device. 
     
     
         5 . The harness of  claim 4 , wherein the anchoring aperture comprises a toggle passage having a length and width slightly larger than a length and thickness of the attachment toggle and
 wherein the anchoring aperture comprises a strap passage disposed on opposing lateral sides of the toggle passage the strap passage having a length slightly larger than a width of the first strap portion and a width slightly larger than a thickness of the first strap portion.   
     
     
         6 . The harness of  claim 5 , wherein the length of the toggle passage extends in a direction that forms an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the back plate. 
     
     
         7 . The harness of  claim 5 , wherein the attachment toggle is rotated to pass through the toggle passage and un-rotated after passing through the toggle passage to retain the attachment toggle at the anchoring aperture 
     
     
         8 . The harness of  claim 4 , wherein the back plate comprises a plate member,
 wherein the anchoring aperture is formed at a portion of the plate member and,   wherein a retaining wall is formed by a series of ridges extending away from a surface of the plate member to a height that is substantially equal to a thickness of the attachment toggle the retaining wall being shaped to extend around a periphery of the attachment toggle to guide and retain the attachment toggle proximate to the plate member.   
     
     
         9 . The harness of  claim 4 , wherein the fixed anchoring points comprise a first anchoring aperture disposed a first distance from a longitudinal centerline of the back plate and a second anchoring aperture disposed a second distance from the longitudinal centerline the first distance being less than the second distance. 
     
     
         10 . The harness of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment toggle is disposed at the selected one of a plurality of fixed anchoring points while the harness is doffed by an operator, and
 wherein the adjustable coupler is operable while the harness is donned by the operator.   
     
     
         11 . A harness for carrying an outdoor power equipment device, the harness comprising:
 a back plate;   a leg plate to support the device responsive to attachment of the device to the leg plate;   a chest buckle operable to alternately enable donning and doffing of the harness; and   an adjustable strap assembly operably coupled to the back plate and the chest buckle to enable a carrying height of the leg plate to be adjusted,   wherein the adjustable strap assembly comprises a strap portion that operably couples the leg plate to the chest buckle via an adjustable coupler that defines an infinite number of set positions for the carrying height of the leg plate.   
     
     
         12 . The harness of  claim 11 , wherein the adjustable coupler comprises a tri-glide slide or webbing slide portion through which the strap portion is passed before selectively engaging a locking slot to alternately the strap portion to be fixed or adjusted. 
     
     
         13 . The harness of  claim 12 , wherein the locking slot comprises a first locking arm and a second locking arm separated from each other by a slip passage, and
 wherein the strap portion of the adjustable strap assembly is slidable through the tri-glide slide or webbing slide portion to change the carrying height of the leg plate by pulling an adjustment strap at a distal end of the second strap portion when the adjustment strap is not retained in the locking slot and the carrying height is fixed when the adjustment strap is retained in the locking slot.   
     
     
         14 . A harness for carrying an outdoor power equipment device, the harness comprising:
 a back plate;   a leg plate to support the device responsive to attachment of the device to the leg plate;   a chest buckle operable to alternately enable donning and doffing of the harness; and   an adjustable strap assembly operably coupled to the back plate and the chest buckle to enable a carrying height of the leg plate to be adjusted,   wherein the adjustable strap assembly comprises a strap portion operably coupling the leg plate to the back plate at a selected one of a plurality of fixed anchoring points via an attachment toggle disposed at a distal end of the first strap portion.   
     
     
         15 . The harness of  claim 14 , wherein each of the fixed anchoring points comprises an anchoring aperture defining a different carrying height corresponding to a different job type performed by the device. 
     
     
         16 . The harness of  claim 15 , wherein the anchoring aperture comprises a toggle passage having a length and width slightly larger than a length and thickness of the attachment toggle, and
 wherein the anchoring aperture comprises a strap passage disposed on opposing lateral sides of the toggle passage the strap passage having a length slightly larger than a width of the strap portion and a width slightly larger than a thickness of the strap portion.   
     
     
         17 . The harness of  claim 16 , wherein the length of the toggle passage extends in a direction that forms an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the back plate. 
     
     
         18 . The harness of  claim 16 , wherein the attachment toggle is rotated to pass through the toggle passage and un-rotated after passing through the toggle passage to retain the attachment toggle at the anchoring aperture. 
     
     
         19 . The harness of  claim 15 , wherein the back plate comprises a plate member,
 wherein the anchoring aperture is formed at a portion of the plate member and,   wherein a retaining wall is formed by a series of ridges extending away from a surface of the plate member to a height that is substantially equal to a thickness of the attachment toggle the retaining wall being shaped to extend around a periphery of the attachment toggle to guide and retain the attachment toggle proximate to the plate member.   
     
     
         20 . The harness of  claim 15 , wherein the fixed anchoring points comprise a first anchoring aperture disposed a first distance from a longitudinal centerline of the back plate and a second anchoring aperture disposed a second distance from the longitudinal centerline, the first distance being less than the second distance.